Should We Pay Salaries To Moms Forced Out of the Workforce During the Pandemic?

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Mar 08, 2021
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It comes as no surprise that women have left the work force in record numbers since the start of the pandemic. Family, school, work and home situations have had to change drastically over the last year, leaving many no choice but to stay home. 

This is precisely why Girls Who Code CEO Reshma Saujani is calling on President Biden to implement the Marshall Plan for Moms. The name of the plan is a nod to the post World War II Marshall Plan that offered large amounts of aid to Eastern European countries to rebuild after the war.

CNN reports about the petition gaining traction, as well as signatures from many powerful people, that calls for a mom salary of $2,400 per month for “unpaid labor at home.” The plan, first proposed in January, gained a lot of attention recently when a full-page ad was published in the Washington Post calling for its implementation. The letter is signed by 50 prominent men, including actors like Don Cheadle and Colin Farrell. 

Actress, author and activist Alyssa Milano has also spoken up in favor of the plan in an opinion piece published for CNN . She says that we should pay moms for making the sacrifices that had to be made to get us through this crisis. Milano also points out the other changes the plan hopes to implement which “include passing policies that support working women such as pay equity, family leave and affordable childcare; retraining programs that will help women step into emerging jobs; and safely re-opening schools to take the childcare burden off mothers.”

Women have been hit especially hard in the last year and are currently down 5.4 million jobs as opposed to men’s job losses of 4.4 million. In the times leading up to the pandemic, women were close to equal with men - holding about 50.3% of jobs in the workforce. 

Saujani points out to CNN, "No woman made a choice to stay home and take of our children in this crisis, that choice was made for us. We are not America's social safety net. And as many of us have been essentially replacing paid labor for unpaid labor, and nobody asked us. They have put a zero value on our labor, and it's time to put a value on it.”

Whether or not the Marshall Plan for Moms will move forward is currently unknown, but Saujani is hopeful that moms will get what she feels they are due. When asked whether she has received word from the Biden administration regarding her plan she says, “I know Joe Biden cares about mothers. This is an issue that he cares about personally, and so I have no doubt that this administration will do the right thing and put together a Marshall Plan for mothers.”

Have you or friends and family had to leave the workforce to care for kids at home over the last year?

Do you think the Marshall Plan for Moms sounds like a good way to help families recover from job losses over the last year?

 

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Comments
Zakiaez by Zakiaez | Safi, OU
Mar 11, 2022

It would be great if they helped the mothers. I am also a mother of two children and I am sitting at home and I do not receive any wages. The mothers will be happy if he helps him.T It will be great

Jenny391 by Jenny391 | Port Isabel, TX
May 13, 2021

No we should not pay moms out of the work force.  They will be back to work soon as we are coming out of the pandemic and schools are open now.

treat2c by treat2c | AURORA, IL
Mar 31, 2021

Every stay-at-home mom should be given a salary. It is horrible that women have to choose between work and the family. Moms provide a service that should be acknowledged. 

FitCoachCrystal by FitCoachCrystal | Nacogdoches, TX
Mar 18, 2021

I was forced by my job to resign or take it as job abandonment because I couldn't get my kids into daycares at just 25% capacity, nor were schools open yet. Here we are a year later, homeschooling and building a side hustle into a full time income slowly but surely. It set us back for a long time. 

ooster1 by ooster1 | ALOHA, OR
Mar 14, 2021

This is unfair to those of us who have no children.  Unemployment is there if you no longer have a job.  Many jobs moved to work from home models so moms can still work.  And if moms are going to get this option than next dads will want it to which again punishes those of us with no children who are forced to work or stay broke as nothing is available to help us.

Dee1707 by Dee1707 | Jupiter, FL
Mar 13, 2021

It is absolutely a good way to help families recover.

hariharian by hariharian | Tampa, FL
Mar 13, 2021

Yikes, for a site that sounds like it's supposed to empower women, seems like a lot of yall hate women, lol. "Just" because they have kids. Because raising another human being is so inconsequential! And look, it me, not having kids. If you have a problem about people receiving money to help alleviate childhood poverty, then join an org trying to push laws to actually tax bajillionaires and/or redirect your precious tax money from bombing foreign children to paying something constructive. 

aurora88 by aurora88 | ENGLEWOOD, CO
Mar 13, 2021

No I have no children 

paminny by paminny | NEW YORK, NY
Mar 12, 2021

No. While I do think mothers (and stay at home fathers) do make a sacrifice to raise their kids and often do put in a lot of work, it's also a personal choice. Mothers/fathers know what they are sacrificing when choosing to be a stay at home parent. Tax payers should not be forced to subsidize their personal choices. Work on making housing/food/medicine more affordable instead of showering money on everyone, raising taxes, and causing more debt all around.

VickiCoffey by VickiCoffey | Gilbert, AZ
Mar 12, 2021

No.  I do not feel this is right or fair.  Why should someone get paid when they chose to have children?  I did not choose for them to be Mom's, they did.  What about those women that cant have children?  Why should they be penalized by not making any money!?    Then comes the question, should they be paid per child? Where does it stop.  A woman should NOT be paid to be a job they chose.

boo_boo_kitty by boo_boo_kitty | SAN ANTONIO, TX
Mar 12, 2021

I think they should get paid.

PepsiDrinker by PepsiDrinker | Warner Robins, GA
Mar 11, 2021

No, while this would be nice everyone else would have to pay for it by raising taxes.

RachP03 by RachP03 | CHICO, CA
Mar 11, 2021

Yes

LissaL by LissaL | North Port, FL
Mar 11, 2021

We give billions of dollars to other countries & the arts, museums etc. including the last stimulus bill. So yes we should pay SAHMs & caregivers. It really is time for people to pay attention to where our money really goes-;instead of using the " I shouldn't be taxed for this..etc"  Also I am for this in general w/o COVID as well as $1000 per month per adult. It is time to take care of our own communities and stop wasteful spending. People matter. 

CocoSpeaksFact by CocoSpeaksFact | EVANSVILLE, IN
Mar 11, 2021

I believe this would be good